Uncoupling mechanism



M y 1940- w. J. METZGER UNCOUPLING MECHANiSM I I a Filed Jan. 21, 1939 wm-vENJToR illia eZz cwfi Q ATTORNEY Patented May 28, 1940 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE UNCOUPLING MECHANISM Application January 21, 1939, SerialNo. 252,133

8 Claims.

This invention relates to uncoupling mechanism for car couplers.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved uncouplingmechanism which is simple in construction and the parts of which may notbe accidentally disassociated when in service. Another object is toprovide a novel bail mounting bracket whereby the bail may be readilydisconnected from the car structure when the mechanism is to bedisassembled. Other objects and advantages of my invention will behereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the uncoupling mechanism, thecoupler shank being shown in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the uncoupling mechanism, taken online 22 of Fig. 1, showing the bail in position for removal from themounting brackets.

Figure 3 is vertical sectional view of the uncoupling mechanism, takenon line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a side view of the bail mounting bracket.

Figure 5 is a partial front elevational view of a modification of themechanism shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

Figure 6 is a side View of the bail mounting bracket shown in Fig. 5.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing, there is shown acoupler head Ill and shank l I supported by the car structure l2. Thecoupler is provided with the usual rotor lock operating means l3 andpivotally attached thereto is link M. For actuating the link l4 andthere-' by the lock operating means, there is provided a bail |5 havinga horizontal or crank portion l6 which extends through a slot IT in saidlink. At opposite ends of said horizontal portion the bail comprisesvertical arms l8 and extending from said vertical arms are thehorizontal portions I9. At the ends of horizontal portions l9 are thevertical arms 20 from which extend inwardly the horizontal arms 2|. Thelatter form bearing members or trunnions by means of which the bail ispivotally connected to the bearing brackets 22.

Each of said brackets is comprised of an eye portion 23 having thetrunnion receiving opening 24, said portion being notched along itsouter end, as at 25, to permit removal of the bail from the bracketsduring disassembly of the mechanism. Extending upwardly from portion 23is the portion 26 by means of which the bracket may be secured to thecar structure.

An uncoupling rod 29 for actuating the bail is provided at each end ofthe bail so that the mechanism may be operated from either side of thecar. One end of each rod has an eye 30 by means of which the rod ispivotally connected to trun- (Cl. 213) I The other end of the rod ispivotally nion 2|. supported on the car structure by a suitable bracket3! and terminates in a handle portion 32. Below the eye 30 said rod isformed with an elbow portion 33 which overlaps the horizontal portionI!) of the bail, so that when handle 32 is swung upwardly, the bail israised and unlocking of the coupler knuckle is effected through link l4and the lock operating mechanism. It will be noted that eye 30 cannotmove inwardly past the outer side 34 of bracket 22 either duringstationary position of the uncoupling rod or during pivotal movementthereof, and thus the bail is precluded from shifting axially an amountsufficient to cause disengagement of a trunnion from its bracket.

To disassemble the mechanism the upper end of one uncoupling rod isfirst released from the car structure and then slid to a suitableposition on the bail, as shown in Fig. 2. The bail is next manuallyraised to effect opening of the coupler knuckle, at which point thehorizontal portion IE will have been swung to a position higher thantrunnions 2|. The bail may now be moved lat-- erally of the car towardthe other rod until it is in the position shown in Fig- 2, with one ofthe arms 29 occupying the notch 25 of the associated bracket. Astrunnion 2| at the other end of the bail is no longer within portion 23of the bracket, this end may now be swung outwardly from the carstructure to clear said bracket sufiiciently as to permit disengagementof said trunnion from eye 30 of the associated uncoupling rod 29. Thisdisengagement may be readily accomplished as sufficient lateral movementof rod 29 relative to the car has been provided. The bail may next bemoved in the opposite direction laterally of the car to disengage theother trunnion from its bracket. As an alternative method the bail maybe disconnected from the brackets when in the position shown in Fig. 2by swinging the trunnion on the left side away from the car structure sothat eye 38) clears the bracket and then moving the bail laterally ofthe car structure to release the other trunnion from its associatedbracket. The entire disassembling operation in each case is performedwithout the necessity of disengaging the bail from link Hi. Inassembling the mechanism the steps described in disassembling it areapplied in reverse order.

Bracket 22 shown in Figs. 1 to 4, has been width of notch 25, it will beobserved that the entire width of the bracket provides a bearing surfacefor the trunnion in its operating position, the portion 21 of thebracket partly underlying said trunnion. Sufiicient clearance for thetrunnions is provided in brackets 22 and eyes of the uncoupling rods tofacilitate assembly and disassembly of the mechanism.

The bail normally is not engaged by elbow portion 33 of the uncouplingrod and is in a sloped position, thereby exerting a downward force onlink I4 which acts to prevent upward creep of the coupler lock duringtravel of the car.

In Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown a modification of my invention whereinthe bail mounting bracket is cast integral with the car structure. Thebail M is provided at each end with a trunnion 42 adapted to bepivotally received by bracket 40. As in the preceding embodiment, theuncoupling rod 43 is pivotally connected to the trunnion i2 by means ofeye 44 and is provided with an elbow portion 45 which overlaps thehorizontal portion 46 of the bail.

Bracket 40 is comprised of the cylindrical portion M having a trunnionreceiving opening :33. The outer end of portion 47 is provided with ahorizontal slot 49 extending to opening 43. This slot is adapted topermit removal of the bail from brackets EB during disassembly of themechanism in like manner as the notch 25 in bracket 22 of the precedingembodiment.

The terms and expressions which I have enrployed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of thefeatures shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize thatvarious modifications are possible within the scope of the inventionclaimed.

What I claim is:

1. In an uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, a bail having a pair ofvertical arms, and trunnions integral with said bail extending in--wardly from said arms towards each other,

bracket means adapted to receive said trunnions for pivotally supportingsaid bail, and uncoupling means pivotally mounted on said trunnions andadapted to operate said bail, said bracket and uncoupling means beingconstructed and arranged to normally retain said trunnions in said firstnamed means.

2. In an uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, a bail having a pair ofvertical arms, and trunnions extending inwardly from said arms, bracketmeans adapted to receive said trunnions for pivotally supporting saidbail, and uncoupling means pivotally mounted on said trunnions andadapted to operate said bail, each of said bracket means being notchedat one end so that during disassembly of said mechanism said bail may bemoved laterally of said bracket means to a position in which one of saidvertical arms will occupy the notch of its associated bracket.

3. In an uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, a bail having a pair ofvertical arms, and trunnions extending inwardly from said arms, bracketmeans adapted to receive said trunnions for pivotally supporting saidbail, and uncoupling means pivotally mounted on said trunnions andadapted to operate said bail, each of said bracket means being notchedat one end so that during disassembly of said mechanism said bail may bemoved laterally of said bracket means to a position such that one end ofsaid bail may be swung outwardly of said bracket means.

4. In an uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, a bail having a pair ofinwardly extending trunnions, bracket means adapted to receive saidtrunnions for pivotally supporting said bail, each of said bracket meanscomprising a portion forming a closed loop and being constructed andarranged so that said bail may be removed therefrom in one position ofsaid bail and prevented from removal therefrom in another position ofsaid bail.

5. In an uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, a bail having a pair ofinwardly extending trunnions, bracket means adapted to receive saidtrunnions for pivotally supporting said bail, each of said bracket meanscomprising a portion forming a closed loop and being constructed andarranged so that said bail may be removed therefrom in one position ofsaid bail, and means on said bracket means preventing removal of saidbail from said bracket means when said bail is in another position.

6. In an uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, a bail having a pair ofvertically extending arms, trunnions extending inwardly of said arms,bracket means each having a closed loop portion adapted to receive saidtrunnions for pivotally supporting said bail, and uncoupling meanspivotally mounted on said trunnions adapted to operate said bail, eachof said uncoupling means comprising an eye portion received by atrunnion and interposed between the side of said bracket means and oneof said arms and normally main taining said trunnions in said bracketmeans, either of said eye portions being adapted to be moved to anotherposition on said bail to permit movement thereof to a position in whichone of said trunnions is withdrawn from the loop portion of itsassociated bracket means. i

7. In an uncoupling mechanism of car couplers, a bail having a pair ofvertical arms, sum nions extending inwardly from said arms, bracketmeans adapted to receive said trunnions for pivotally supporting saidbail, and uncoupling means pivotally mounted on said trunnions andadapted to operate said bail, each of said uncoupling means comprisingan eye portion received by one of said trunnions and interposed. betweenthe side of said bracket means and one of said arms, said eye portionsnormally preventing lateral movement of said trunnions topositions inwhich either of said trunnions would be disengaged from said bracketmeans, each of said bracket means having a closed loop portion notchedat one end so that in one position of the bail said bail maybe shiftedlaterally so that one of said arms occu- Y pies the notch of itsassociated bracket and the end of said other trunnion is withdrawn fromthe loop portion of its associated bracket.

8. In an uncoupling mechanism for car coupler, a bail having a pair ofinwardly extending trunnions, brackets each having a closed loop portionreceiving said trunnions for pivotally mounting said bail, means on oneof said brackets limiting movement of said bail transversely of 1 thecar to an amount less than the length of said closed loop portion inanother of said brackets when said bail is in one position, said bracketbeing constructed and arranged to permit trans verse movement of saidbail an amount such that the trunnion in said other bracket is Withdrawnfrom the loop portion of its associated bracket when said bail is inanother position.

WILLIAM J. METZGER

